How to Transfer Photos from Mac to iPhone

If you have some photos that you need to transfer to your iPhone, here’s how to transfer them from your Mac.

Usually you need to just transfer photos from your iPhone to your computer, since you take photos with your iPhone and then need to transfer them to your computer, but sometimes you need to go the other way around.

Luckily, there are several methods you can use to transfer photos to your iPhone from your Mac, and Apple even makes it easier to do this thanks to the new Photos app that they introduced in an update to OS X Yosemite, allowing you to easily manage your photos.

This article may contain affiliate links. Click here for more details.

The Photos app on Mac and the Photos app on your iPhone use iCloud Photo Library, which syncs up your photos automatically and makes them viewable on all of your iOS and OS X devices that you have iCloud Photo Library enabled on. So when you take a photo with your iPhone, that photo will automatically show up on your other Apple devices.

However, sometimes you need to go the other way around. Here’s how to transfer photos from your Mac to your iPhone.

iCloud Photo Library

Again, this is probably the easiest way to transfer photos to your iPhone from your Mac, because it’s built into the Apple ecosystem so it’s easier to use for those who want a seamless solution.

To transfer photos to your iPhone using iCloud Photo Library, you’ll want to make sure that iCloud Photo Library is enabled on both your Mac and your iPhone. Open up the Photos app on your Mac and go up and click Photos in the top-left corner of the screen. Select Preferences and make sure iCloud Photo Library is checked.

Next, go to Settings on your iPhone and scroll down and tap on Photos & Camera, and then turn on iCloud Photo Library by tapping on the toggle switch so that it turns green (if it isn’t already).

Now, go back to the Photos app on your Mac and simply drag and drop any photos into the app. They will now appear in the Photos app and in a few seconds, they’ll appear on your iPhone.

Dropbox

Another easy way to transfer photos from your Mac to your iPhone is by using Dropbox.

You’ll need to sign up for a Dropbox account and get the Dropbox apps for both your Mac and your iPhone, but from there, you can put photos into your Dropbox folder from your Mac and they’ll show up automatically in the Dropbox app on your iPhone.

You can view the apps from the Dropbox app or save them to your Photos app on your iPhone by tapping on the Share icon in Dropbox when viewing a photo and selecting Save Image.

If you already use Dropbox religiously, this can be a good way to go. However, if you don’t already use Dropbox, you might just be better off using another method.

AirDrop

If you only have one or two photos to transfer from your Mac to your iPhone, AirDrop can be an easy way to do that.

AirDrop uses Bluetooth to transfer photos and other files to other iOS and OS X files, just as long as other users have Bluetooth turned on and AirDrop enabled. However, you can also send photos to yourself through AirDrop if you have multiple devices.

On your Mac, simply click on AirDrop in the sidebar in Finder and make sure your iPhone is also awake with Bluetooth on and AirDrop enabled. From there, you should see your iPhone show up in the window on your Mac. All that’s left to do is drag and drop a photo onto that little circle that’s your iPhone. You’ll then receive a notification on your iPhone to accept the photo.